With the 113th US Open underway at Merion Golf Club, we thought we’d take a look at some quotes on America’s national open. From famous golfers including past US Open Champions to some of the game’s greats, here’s what has been said about golf’s toughest test…
“Why practise out of fairway bunkers? We might as well just throw the ball out and add a shot. I must have been in 25 of them. I don’t think I advanced it more than 30 yards out of any of them.”
~ 2006 US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy on the devilish bunkers that are dotted all over Oakmont Country Club.
(They’re hazards Geoff…you’re s’posed to avoid them!)
Before the final round Arnold Palmer had been told by journalists that 7 shots were too many to make up in the final round of the US Open. After 6 birdies in the first 7 holes, said journalists hustled out to the golf course to witness the conclusion of Palmer’s final-round comeback.
When he saw his doubters in the gallery, Palmer said, “Fancy seeing you here. Who’s winning the Open?!”
“Johnny Miller!? I didn’t even know Miller made the cut!”
~ Tom Weiskopf after hearing the news of Johnny Miller’s stunning final round of 63 at the 1973 US Open.
“Nobody ever wins the National Open. Somebody else just loses it.”
~ Bobby Jones
“A difficult golf course eliminates a lot of players. The US Open flag eliminates a lot of players. Some players just weren’t meant to win the US Open. Quite often, a lot of them know it.”
~ Jack Nicklaus
“When people say they dream of playing in the U.S. Open someday, what they’re really saying is, they’d like to be good enough to play. Trust me; the U.S. Open is not fun.”
~ Tom Weiskopf…clearly not a fan of golf’s toughest test!
“The U.S. Open has never been exciting to watch. It has always been a sad tournament. There is no excitement, no enjoyment. It is all defensive golf, from the first tee to the last putt.”
~ Then again…neither was Seve!
“The U.S. Open is my favorite week of the year. To a lot of people, it is the worst week of the year. To me, you should be punished if you miss the fairway. You should be punished if you miss the green.”
~ Colin Montgomerie
“Shoot a lower score than everybody else.”
~ Ben Hogan when asked the secret of winning the US Open.
“If I had been able to beat that strong, young dude in the tournament, I might have held him off for another five years … I let the Bear out of the cage.”
~ Arnold Palmer after losing to Jack Nicklaus in the 1962 US Open Playoff; the forst of the Golden Bear’s 18 wins.
“You not only have to be good, but you also have to have two horseshoes up your rear end. You’ve got to be lucky to win the U.S. Open.”
~ Sam Snead who, despite his 82 PGA Tour victories, never won his national open.
“A lot of zeroes, with the one number in front.”
~ Lee Trevino when asked how much winning the 1968 U.S. Open meant to him.
“You can’t win the Open on Thursday and Friday, but you can lose it.”
~ Jack Nicklaus
“I’m glad I was finally able to bring this course – this monster – to its knees.”
Ben Hogan on the monstrous Oakland Hills
